"Mmuph," Castiel groans.

Dean pats Castiel's back gently. "Shh,"

Dean was carrying the precious cargo while entering the motel's room. Sam was trailing along with all of their bags, and he was having some trouble. He almost trips as he tries to keep the door open while walking through it and not having a free arm.

Dean pulls back the covers on one of the beds and slowly lays Castiel on the bed. He unhooks Castiel's little hand from his shirt. He pulls off the light-up shoes Sam insisted they get him. He pulls the covers back up. Castiel turns on to his side and curls into himself. Dean stood there for a moment, just staring with his arms crossed.

Sam let's all the bags fall on to the floor with a huff of a breath. "Thanks, Dean. You're so helpful."

Dean looks over to Sam. "Huh?"

"Never mind," Sam walks to the second bed in the room and falls on to it. "I'm going to sleep. I can't take it."

Dean chuckles as he watches his baby brother lazily kick off his shoes. Sam was out in a matter of minutes. Dean turns the tiny lamp off and exits the room.

Dean sat on the ground outside of the motel's room. He had a 6-pack of beer beside him, two of them already empty. Dean stares straight ahead, letting his worry lines run free as he thought.

He thought about Castiel and how with every passing hour he is starting to act like an actual kid. Sure, there are a few tell-signs of Castiel in the body, but he is acting different. He doesn't want to worry about it. He wants to believe that it's just a side effect of whatever, but something is telling him different. Maybe he has been listening to Sammy too much.

Dean shakes his head and takes another sip from the bottle in his hand.

Out of nowhere, a whimper can be heard. Dean leans up and makes his ears go in to full alert mode. The noise sounded like crying to him. When that thought ran through his mind, he stood up quickly and entered the room, leaving behind the bottles he had tipped over.

Dean went to the bed that occupied Castiel. He bends down. With the help of the light coming from the window, he could see the little form in the bed was shaking. Dean puts his hand on the little body.

"Cas, buddy,"

Castiel woke with gasp. He laid there in silence, and then he starts crying. "Dean?"

"Yeah, I'm right here." Dean says in the quietest voice he could muster up.

He rubs his hand over Castiel's head. Castiel grabs Dean's hand and holds it.

"Dean, I'm scared." His voice was so small.

"What are you scared of, buddy?"

"Shadows, the dark," Castiel's voice shakes as he talks.

Put a gun under your pillow, and you'll be fine.

Dean shakes his father's advice out of his head.

Dean rubs his finger over Castiel's hand that is holding on to him so tightly. "You know, Sam and me are right here. There's nothing that's gonna get you."

Castiel sniffles. "But you weren't in here, which made me more scared."

Dean sighs. "I was just right outside the door. How about you go back to sleep? You'll need your energy tomorrow."

"Will you stay in here?" Castiel asks.

"Yeah, I just gotta do something. Okay?"

"Okay,"

Castiel reluctantly lets go of Dean's hand.

Dean quickly grabs the bottles from outside the door. He changes in the bathroom, and kind of washes up. When he walked out of the bathroom, he could see Castiel's body in from the light. He was still shaking.

Dean walks to the bed and gets in. Castiel scoots closer to him, but then suddenly stops. He stops when he was in reaching distance.

Dean gets himself comfortable and closes his eyes. A few seconds later, he feels a tug on his shirt sleeve. He opens one eye and looks down. He sees Castiel's hand holding on to his shirt's sleeve. Dean closes his eyes, not really caring. If it made Castiel feel safe, so be it.

"Deeean," Castiel says from the back seat. "Deeean,"

Dean smiles to himself as he purposely ignores the little angel. He looks down at the totally cool-guy magazine and continues to read.

"Deeean," Castiel's voice raises a bit. "Deeean, can you hear me?"

Dean has to hold in a chuckle.

"Dean, did you go deaf?"

"You know, as a little tyke, you're a bit talkative."

"I feel it's because my adult-filter is gone." Castiel leans his head against the back of the seat. He looks out the window. "Dean, where's Sam?"

"He is still where he was when you asked that question five minutes ago. The store," Dean says. He closes the magazine and looks at the rearview mirror.

"Oh," Castiel stares at the store. "What's he doing?"

"Getting me and him something to drink,"

"Why don't I get anything to drink?"

Dean scrunches his eyebrows up. "Because you're an angel, and all you'd taste is the molecules anyway." The statement comes out like a question.

"But I'm thirsty."

Dean turns around. "Really?"

Castiel looks at him. "Yeah,"

"Huh,"

Sam opens the impala's door and falls in. He hands Dean the soda drink he wanted, and opens the water he got for himself.

"Cas wants something to drink." Dean says.

Sam groans and looks up at the impala's ceiling. "I just sat down."

"I want juice." Castiel says.

"He wants juice." Dean says.

"He wants juice." Sam says.

"Orange,"

"Orange juice," Dean says.

"Orange juice," Sam says still not getting up.

Castiel looks back out the window. "I think I might die from dehydration."

"Where are we going?" Castiel groans from the backseat for the fifth time.

"We're going to Bobby's." Sam says.

"How long is it going to take?"

"About five more hours,"

Another groan. "I can't."

Sam looks back and laughs. Castiel was laid out against the window with one foot on the seat and the other hanging normally. He was still staring out the window, up at the sky.

"Dean, I think he is getting a bit antsy."

"Do you want to stop at a gas station and walk around for a minute?" Dean asks the little boy.

Castiel nods. "Yes, pleeease."

"My legs hurt." Castiel says as he follows Dean inside the gas station.

They left Sam to pump the gas.

"Do some stretches," Dean says as he heads for restroom. "Do some lunges,"

"What's that?"

Dean quickly demonstrates a lunge for him. "Like that,"

"Oh,"

So as they walk to the bathroom, Castiel does lunges the whole way.

After Dean was finished doing his business and after Castiel was finished with asking a million questions about poop, they start walking through the gas station's aisles. Dean stops at the refreshments aisle and begins to eye the products, trying to decide what he wanted and what Sam would like.

"Cas, do you want anything?" He asks.

When he gets no answer, he looks down around at his feet and sees no Castiel. Dean quickly scans the area around him; still Castiel was not in sight.

"Shit," He says. "Cas?"

"Leave me alone,"

Dean instantly recognized the voice. He follows it to the aisle over where he sees a man crouching in front of Castiel, with a hand on his shoulder.

"Step the hell away from him," Dean's voice lowers.

The man stands up with his hands raised. "I was just trying to help the kid."

"I don't care, just go away."

While staring at the man, Castiel backs up and hides behind Dean's leg.

The man looks at Castiel for a minute before walking away.

When he is sure the guy is out of sight, Dean turns around and bends down on a knee to get to Castiel's level.

"Dude, don't walk away like that again. Okay? Yeah, I get that you're still a big boy on the inside but you're a little boy on the outside. And there are some sick bastards that would love to get their hands on you. So it'd be best if you stayed near. Alright?"

Castiel nods. "He lied. He wasn't trying to help. He was trying to make me go with him."

"Yeah, I know that." Dean stands up and looks at the aisle they were in. "Did you want candy or something?"

Castiel looks at the display of candy and nods. "Yeah, I really want Sour Patch Kids."

"Okay, then." Dean grabs a package of the candy. "Let's get something to drink before we go."

They start walking back to the drink aisle.

"Dean, do they make Sour Patch Kids from real kids?" Castiel asks.

"No,"

Thanks for reading.

Please review, follow and/or favorite.